Tour Diaries: Work-cation!
Ah, the Outer Banks of North Carolina… one of our favorite places, and 2/3 Goat’s latest tour destination. We headed down in mid-July for a week of shows & fun. This was one of our favorite weeks of adventures yet, because we were surrounded by unending beauty and great friends.
Ryan & I started out from NYC to pick up our other third, Mr. Guerra, in Norfolk, VA, and stay with our friends Patrick & Kendal on our way down. I’d never been over the Chesepeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel before, and as soon as Ryan told me how long it was and that it was comprised of bridges AND tunnels, I wasn’t all too sure this would be an enjoyable day…
Who knew this was possible?? But it was great! The CBBT is truly a triumph of human innovation.
We continued on down and arrived in Hatteras, NC, for our first stop on tour: Teach’s Island Bar & Grill.
What a great venue!! We had a blast here.
Hatteras is across the water from the island of Ocracoke, so we headed over there on the ferry the next day. Unlike most of the Outer Banks, which are connected by bridges, there is no other way to get to Ocracoke than by ferry. Some beautiful birds and glorious weather greeted us.
Ocracoke is a tiny town on a wild island. The beaches are gorgeous and the water’s clear. The mosquitos are also ravenous on the island, so make sure when visiting that you either bring a bottle of bug spray or a zen attitude. Both are preferable; the zen just works for this island, where no one is in a rush and the amalgam of bicycles, pedestrians, cars, and golf carts create the most peaceful traffic jam you’ll ever find yourself in. We rented bikes, and after our shows we would drive our instruments & gear back to our home base, the Rickers’ rental house,* and started out on bikes. Every night was an adventure, from witnessing the phosphorescence in beautiful Silver Lake, to gazing at the night sky – which is UNmatchable to any that I’ve seen; the Milky Way literally stretched across the entire sky!! – and enjoying the night life at a few great bars/restaurants on the island.
The first time I ever went to Ocracoke was last year to visit our friends The Yes Team (a band we know from NYC, now based in San Diego and killin’ it out there!!) and Aaron Lavigne (another awesome musician who I actually attended college with; he’s now on Broadway in Spiderman, also killing it). Aaron & the folks in The Yes Team have played shows in Ocracoke these past couple of years, and after visiting last year, we decided 2/3 Goat should spend some time building some fans and enjoying the beautiful beach there. (Here I am, enjoying the beach a little too much.)
*We would not have been able to stay this whole week if it hadn’t been for Chris & Judy Ricker, great friends who opened up their temporary home to us. MANY THANKS to them, as well as the Dudleys, an amazing family from Charlotte with roots in Ocracoke, who we really got to know this time around.
SHOWS IN OCRACOKE!!
The two venues we played on the wild island were Creekside Cafe and Jolly Roger.
These were both 3 hour shows. Long shifts! They went great, though. Exercises in endurance. We were totally prepared and even came out stronger artists & entertainers, I think. Clearly, the scenery helped keep us engaged. I think Guerra may be swatting off a mosquito in this photo from Jolly Roger.
Another activity we participated in on the island was clamming. Here we are in action.
The Rickers, the Dudleys, and the Goats went out into the marshes one day, and among the three parties, we collected about 250 clams!!
Needless to say, we had a feast. These were our clams!!
Photo shoots also need to happen from time to time for a band. We chose the Rickers’ giant red hot tub for this shoot. Just add water, bubbles, cigars, and some champagne, and you’re in business.
<– Me, Ryan, & Ryan
Us & the rest of our island gang–>
We’ve had enough adventure this past year to afford some time at home base. So we’re taking a couple of months to do some shows closer to home & spend some time writing. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer!!
In the meantime, CONNECT WITH US on:
‘Til the road calls again,
Annalyse
2/3 Goat
**Tour Tip #5: Get in touch with nature. As much as we may try and separate ourselves from the earth, it’s where we came from – So it’s what is in us. So much creativity occurs naturally, and we can all draw from it in our own artistic endeavors. As Carl Sagan said, “If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.”
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